Doorlock and keeper plate



May 16, 1933.

F. c. BAGER 1,909,603

DOORLOCK AND KEEPER PLATE Filed Nov. 28, 1930 A TTORNEY Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE FRED C. BAGER, OF HURON, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ERNEST C. MCKENZIE AND ONE-FOURTH TO BECRNE B. MCCLASKEY, BOTH OF HURON, SOUTH DA KO TA DOORLOCK AND PLATE Application filed November 28, 1930. Serial No. 498,679.

This invention relates to door looks or latches, and more particularly to looks or latches for the doors of automobiles, although it is to be noted that the latches dis- 5 closed are suitable for doors used in other devices.

In my prior applications, Ser. No. 367,660, filed June 1, 1929; and Ser. No. 406,069, filed November 9, 1929, of Which'this application is a continuation in part, there are disclosed door latches provided with plungers or spring actuated elements which operate upon the latch and upon the door jambor keeper fixedly secured thereto for various purposes. Some of the functions of the plungers disclosed may be listed as follows:

(a) The plunger automatically moves to hold the latched door against rattling.

(b) The plunger automatically moves to exert a door opening thrust on the jamb so that when the latch is released the door will swing open.

(0) The plunger automatically moves to a position wherein it maintains thelatch in open positionand with the assistance of friction also maintains the latch against vibration when the door is open.

(cl) The plunger automatically moves to a 0 position wherein it permits the latch to engage the keeper when the door is swung shut. r

A characteristic in the constructions disclosed has been observed and this will now be described; As disclosed, the plunger holds the latch up, out of the way of the keeper, until the door has been swung shut, whereupon it releases the latch, permitting it to drop into the keeper slot. The latch must be so held, in its elevated position, until the door has been fully swung to its closed position, or else it will engage the keeper, preventing closing of the door.

The plungers disclosed are so constructed 45 that they may be moved to latch release position before the door is swung shut, and while it is not intended that they be So moved, the fact remains that they can be so moved, if one would deliberately attempt to so move them. i

To cure this defect, I have provided on the striker plate, an inclined track which will be engaged by the latch, if it is not in its elevated position, upon the closing of the door, so as to elevate the latch into its the following description and the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front section View of the form of latching means disclosed in application Ser. No. 406,069.

Fig. 2 is a side section view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, in conjunction with a novel form of striker plate. Fig. 4 shows the novel striker plate per se. Fig. 5 shows the form of plunger device disclosed in application Ser. N 0. 367,660.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown at 10, a latch having a Wedge shaped extension 12 adapted to enter the slot 14 in the keeper 16, formed as part of the striker plate 18, the latter being secured to a door jamb indicated at 20.

The latch is mountedin any suitable man-- nor, being provided with a squared hole thru which projects the squared shaft 24 of the door handle (not shown), this construction being conventional. Secured to the latch is a bar 26 which may be moved to is closed, and under the edge 40 of the wedge shaped extension 12 of the latch, for purposes now to be described.

When the door is closed, the forward end of the plunger 36 engages keeper face 38 so as to exert an outward thrust on the door, such thrust holding the door and latch against rattling, and causing the door to swing open when the latch is released.

It will be observed that the extension 12 of the latch, by virtue of its wedge shape, also tends to prevent the latch and door from rattling when the door is closed. In addition the wedge shape tends to compensate for wear of the extension or of the keeper, and also tends to maintain these parts self-aligning, as will be observed readily.

When the latch is rotated by the handle (not shown) or by the bar 26, plunger 36 reacts against keeper face 38, thrusting the door open. At the same time, the plunger moves under the edge 40 of the extension 12 of the latch, remaining there all the while the door is open. In this position, the plunger holds the latch in its open position and against rattling, as can be seen from the disclosure.

When the door is swung shut with the latch up, the plunger will be forced inwardly when it abuts keeper face 38, permitting spring 28 to rotate the latch so that its extension 12 goes into keeper slot 14, these parts then functioning before described.

It may occur that the plunger 36 be forced inwardly while the door is open, whereupon latch 10 will drop, the forward face of the plunger engaging a side of the extension 12. Now, if the door be swung to close, extension 12 will engage keeper 16, preventing full closure and preventing latching. To forestall such an occurrence, striker plate 18 is provided with an inclined track 46, so positioned that it will engage the edge 10 of a depressed latch, elevating the latter, as the door moves inwardly, until it clears the keeper, whereupon it can be moved by the spring 28 so as to enter the keeper slot 1 1.

It will be seen that the forward edge 48 of the track is wider than its rear portion, such proportioning being desirable, as can be readily understood.

The form of plunger, disclosed in Fig. 5, includes a hollow casing 60, secured to the door, in any suitable fashion, and having a cupped end 62 and slots at 64:. The plungor or reciprocable part includes a cylinder 66, adapted to move within casing 60, and having a fin-forming plate 68 secured thereto, the fins formed by the plate riding in the slots 64. For use with the foregoing, the usual coiled spring 70 is provided.

The form just described is so mounted that its forward edge is adapted to engage a portion of the door jamb proper in the same way and for the same reason that the forward edge of the plunger of Figs. 1-3 engages a portion fixed to the jamb, namely, the surface 38 of the keeper 16. Further, the plate 68 moves into and engages a surface of the crotch 72 between latch extension 12 and the body of the latch 10, for the same reason that the plunger of Figs. 1-3 moves under and engages the edge 40 of extension 12.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the said invention is to be limited, not to the specific details herein set forth, but only by the scope of the claims which follow. I

I claim:

1. In combination with a swinging door, a door latching mechanism, including a swinging latch bolt swingable in the plane of the door, a keeper with which said latch bolt cooperates to hold the door in closed position, the keeper having a slot into which a. portion of the latch bolt is adapted to move, and

means to elevate the latch bolt in the event it is in a lower and undesirable position when the door is being swung shut, said means being so positioned as to operate automatically on the latch bolt to elevate the latter and a spring actuated element movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the door plane and arranged to exert a door opening thrust on said door, said element also being arranged to maintain said latch in unlatched position when said door is open and to be moved from latch maintaining p0- sition during a door closing operation to permit door locking movement of said latch.

2. In combination with a swinging door, a door latching mechanism, including a swinging latch bolt swingable in the plane of the door, a keeper with which said latch bolt cooperates to hold the door in closed position, the keeper having a slot into which a portion of the latch bolt is adapted tomove, and means to elevate the latch bolt in the event it is in a lower and undesirable position when the door is being swung shut, said means being so positioned as to operate automatically on the latch bolt to elevate the latter, said means including a striker plate having fixedly connected thereto an inclined, track-forming portion upon which the latch bolt portion is adapted to ride, and

a spring actuated element movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the door plane and arranged to exert a door opening thrust on said door, said element also being arranged to maintain said latch in unlatched position when said door is open and to be moved from latch maintaining position during a door closing operation. to permit door locking movement of said latch.

3. In combination with a swinging door, a door latching mechanism, including a swinging latch bolt swingable in the plane of the door, a keeper with which said latch bolt cooperates to hold the door in closed position, the keeper having a slot into which a portion of the latch bolt is adapted to move, and means to elevate the latch bolt in the event it is in a lower and undesirable position when the door is being swung shut, said means being so positioned as to operate automatically on the latch bolt to elevate the latter, said means including a striker plate having fixedly connected thereto an inclined, track-forming portion upon which the latch bolt portion is adapted to ride, the track portion having its upper and rearward end disposed in juxtaposition to the keeper and to the slot in the latter, and a spring actuated element movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the door plane and arranged to exert a door opening thrust on said door, said element also being arranged to maintain said latch in unlatched position when said door is open and to be moved from latch maintaining position during a door closing operation to permit door locking movement of said latch.

In testimony whereof, I, FRED O. BAGER, sign this specification.

FRED C. BAGER. 

